, thou rapscallion!
dost thou dare?"

"Ay, ay," quoth he, "in verity I do!" quoth he. And in verity a did,
too.

But just as I was consulting with the Lord how to act, He having had
even a greater experience with wayward children than myself (may He
pardon me if I be too free with His holy name!)--just, I say, as I was
asking Him to show me in what wise to proceed, up goes her hand, and she
gives him a sound cuff o' th' ear (young Hacket's ear--not the Lord's;
may He pardon me if so it sounded), and she saith,

"Take that for striving to make a fool out o' an honest girl! I know thy
goings on with Ruth Visor," saith she. "Thou'lt ne'er blind me with thy
pretty speecheries." And a was o'er th' palings and out o' sight like a
wind-blown leaf.

Then did young Hacket come to th' fence and lean upon it with both his
arms, and support his chin with a thumb on either side o't, and saith
he,

"Methinks she'd 'a' made a better warrior than a wife," saith he; "but
when she hath ta'en off the edge o' her warlike spirit in fighting for
her freedom," saith he, "why, then," saith he, "I'll marry her!" So
saith he--every word o't. By my troth, comrade, an I had not had so much
the advantage by having my nippers in my hand, I would 'a' thrashed him
then and there. But, "fair play" being my motto, and having my nippers,
as I saith, I forbore; yea, I forbore, and walked away unseen of him.
And, o' my word, I was much angered with myself for not being more angry
with th' wench.

"For," saith I, out loud, that I might be impressed by the sound as well
as by the knowledge o' th' fact--"for," saith I, a-hammering away on a
shoe for Joe Pebbles's brown nag King Edward (though I had often
reasoned with Joe on account o' th' name, first because o' its
irreverence, second on account o' th' horse not being that kind o' a
horse, as 'twas a mare)--"for," saith I, as I made th' shoe, saith I,
"'tis sure a great wickedness to steal a lass's sweetheart away from
her!" saith I. And so 'twas; but, for all I could do, I could not feel
angered with the hussy.

But that day when she did fetch me my dinner, being finished, I did pull
down th' sleeves o' my shirt, and wiped off my leathern apron, and quoth
I to her,

"Lass, come here and sit upon my knee."

So she comes right willingly, being fond o' me to an extent that did oft
seem to astony the mother that bore her (seeing that _she_ was fond o'
naught save her own way); she comes, and she pe